Writer's Block
by AmateurSheikah
Summary: In the small village of Laefi, two teenagers discover part of their destiny, which leads them on a quest to discover more. On their journey, they will find out a family connection that is more astounding then they could've ever imagined. This is the perfect quest for two stereotypical heroes. But what do you do if the heroes are a misfit and a thief? (As of now, discontinued.)
1. Bread

**Hello! This is my first story, and I've been working on it for a very long time. I hope you like it. I'm planning on making it pre-Ocarina of Time, so look for the little hints I drop! Please leave a comment with suggestions and ideas. Thanks! :)**

 **Also, I updated this chapter and the next one because I realized that my breaks in the text weren't showing up. Sorry! This will make the story way less confusing. I hate stupid mistakes... :P**

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Lightning flashed. A hooded figure raced down a deserted path on horseback. Thunder cracked. The figure whipped the reins in frustration. He grunted with the effort. Usually, he would rest and not push his steed so hard. But tonight was different.

When he reached his destination, he shook the water from his cloak, which he wore to stay dry from the rain. But rain was like a spell in this land. It soaked through the clothes to the skin.

He arrived in the eye of this perpetual hurricane, which was a cave, but not in the traditional sense. A better word could be castle. The goddess who resided here would have nothing less, but the beauty was simple in the most complicated way. Vines ensnared the outer walls in an intricate, weaving pattern. Stone turrets rose from the top of the structure. Though this could never happen in nature, they looked as natural as breathing. The goddess's symbol was artfully hidden throughout the exterior of the castle. Tree bark sheets were used as the doors to this rock palace, and when one looked at them, they knew that bark was brittle and not very protective, but the doors had an aura about them that could keep the fiercest intruder at bay. It was this feeling that caused the man to hesitate as he approached the castle, even though he had been here many times.

He knocked on the doors, and they opened. The bark swung eagerly as if there was always a person waiting for their moment to open the door, but the man was alone in the large castle hall. Nothing in this palace seemed to be man-made. Leaves of all different sizes and shapes were spread across the floor like a carpet. Twigs covered the walls, also hiding the symbol of the goddess. The whole room was lit by a dim, yet welcoming light. The thing that was the most abnormal was a magnificent doorway made of brightly colored magical flowers, but it was high up on the wall. It would be impossible for someone to reach the doorway from the ground. But this did not seem to concern the man. He walked forward and the leaves under his feet shifted, slowly moving him upward so he could reach the door.

Inside the room past the door was the goddess. She looked like a woman, but mystical and powerful as well. This was just one form of the goddess. There were many others. She wore long white robes accented with different shades of green. Her hair flowed loosely, was long, and colored a darker shade of blonde. Her face was sharply beautiful, and gave her a look of strength. She held a baby, who was crying from the harsh sound of the storm.

The man bowed deeply when he saw her. It was obvious that he had much respect for the goddess. A look from the man told her that her worst suspicions were true.

"Have you alerted the others?" She asked calmly. The man nodded gravely.

"It has already started here. Evil thorns have begun growing among even the purest of plants. It will move slowly, but will devastate like a plague," she spoke grimly. She sighed, and the sigh held greater meaning than her words. The goddess was distressed, and that made it harder for her illusion of being human to succeed. She started to glow and flicker.

"The prophecy states that the evil will be struck down by the goddess's offspring. He knows this. His first priority will be killing my child, and then Nayru's. Please, take my child someplace safe," she pleaded.

"Yes, my Lady, consider it done," the man murmured. For the first time that night, the goddess almost smiled.

"You are my most loyal servant and friend. The least I can do," she said, "Is let you call me Farore." The man took a breath and nodded.

"Nayru's child is younger than mine by two weeks. Please, return to her and protect that child as well. Teach them kindness and love, and tell them of the prophecy when the time is right," Farore choked. Shiny golden tears like small suns were spilling from her eyes. "Please, go. Go before it is too late."

The man nodded again. He was a man of few words as, which has already been established. He gently picked up the child, a boy, who was in a light, almost-white, green blanket. He bowed to Farore. She nodded her head in return. Then, he left the chamber on the moving leaves. In the castle hall he briskly departed, but still being careful to not jostle the child. The child had stopped crying and fallen asleep. He mounted his horse, secured the baby, and rode off into the dark, wet night.

Back in the castle, Farore rested on a stone turret. Silently, she wept and, although she was a goddess, and had no one to pray to, prayed for her son's safety. Finally, she whispered to the night, "Be brave, precious Link..."

* * *

The man finally rested, as he had travelled without stop for three days. He knew the baby needed food soon, or else his mission would fail. It may be the child of a goddess, but it couldn't hold out forever. He stopped at a small village, where they were given food and shelter for a night. This was how they went on for two weeks, riding for a couple of days and resting for a night, until they reached Nayru's castle. Her castle was more traditional compared to Farore's. It was beautiful and very practical. A empty moat surrounded the castle, which was quite strange. It seemed there was no sort of protection at all around the castle. The wooden drawbridge was open to invite invaders inside. But the man, whose hood had gone back on, approached warily. He had been here many times as well. Upon closer inspection, the empty moat had fog inside, invisible from afar. The castle itself had stone that looked perfect and new, yet the building had stood there for thousands of years. Turrets topped in a rich blue stood at the four corners of the castle, perfectly pointing north, south, east, and west. Windows were placed carefully around the entire castle, some with glass and diagonally crossing iron bars, and some just open to the world. This was a flawless, stereotypical castle.

The man got off of his horse with the baby boy, and carefully crossed the bridge over the "empty" moat. Any of the strange fog that came over the drawbridge and touched the man's boots would singe away the leather as if it had been burned. Inside Nayru's palace was very different than Farore's. The best word to describe the castle was elegant. Beautiful blue flags were draped around the room with Nayru's symbol painted in gold upon them. Blue silk curtains were covering the windows, dimming the room slightly. A crystal chandelier was hung from the ceiling, lit by candles that gave off a brighter light than what was natural. A grand staircase led up to an even grander set of doors that were decorated with golden, ancient writings and drawings etched into blue painted wood. He quietly knocked on the doors, and he heard a soft, "Enter." And so he did.

The room was decorated the same way as the castle hall. There was another woman with a sleeping child. She was beautiful in a softer way than Farore. She had full lips, wavy golden hair, and large, inquisitive eyes that seemed to know everything. Her robes were covered with symbols similar to the blue painted doors, and were the same blue as much of her castle.

Again, the man bowed deeply to the goddess.

"My Lady, I assume you know why I am here." He nodded to Farore's child in his arms. The goddess, Nayru, sighed deeply, which worried the man. He did not wish to anger any of the goddesses. To his relief, Nayru nodded, her eyes sparkling with the same shining tears that Farore had shed before.

"Take her someplace safe with the boy. It is the only way. Stay with them, and please keep them safe from the evil that quickly spreads across the land," she said, composing herself. She took a breath, and continued.

"It would be best for our children if you took them as far away from the evil, their destinies, and even we three goddesses. Let them live carefree as long as they can." The man nodded and took the children away, out of the palace and into the night.

As soon as they left, Nayru collapsed on the floor. She wept through the night for her lost daughter, hoping they could reunite sooner than in fifteen years.

~A PASSAGE OF TIME~

The shopkeeper huffed. He had just stopped a pesky girl from stealing two of his twenty fresh loaves of bread. She was now sulking a few feet away from his stall.

"Hmph," he fumed. "Serves that brat right." He turned around, mollified. But his contentment did not last long.

"One two three four...EIGHTEEN? That miscreant DID steal two loaves of MY BREAD!" The girl looked up, shocked.

"Me?! But I didn't do anything! I've been sitting here since you yelled at me!" She pouted. The man's face turned bright red.

"YOU DID IT! I KNOW YOU DID! I KNOW YOU DID!" He screamed. The girl looked wide eyed and started to cry. She was in her teens, but it still looked believable. The man's colleague looked intimidated.

"C'mon. It's not worth it," he soothed.

What the shopkeeper didn't know was that though the girl did not steal his bread, she was directly related to the crime. Her attempt to steal his bread was simply a diversion, if you did not know already. You see, if the girl had actually wanted to steal the bread herself, the shopkeeper would have absolutely no idea until she was long gone. The girl had a, "partner in crime," as it were. While the shopkeeper was yelling at the girl, this partner had stolen the bread. This plan was extremely simple, especially in comparison to their other plans. You may be wondering why the girl did not steal the bread herself. The answer is that the partners were as thick as thieves, no pun intended. Also, this way was much more fun.

The girl ran away, all traces of tears gone. She swiftly ran behind a tree, out of the shopkeeper's sight. Her partner was already there. She was fifteen, and had blue eyes and long blonde hair that she kept down, but wore a cloth tied headband to keep it out of her eyes. She was tall, and very pretty. She was clever, and a bit of a tomboy.

"Zelda, that was amazing!" Her partner whisper-shouted. She smiled. Her partner was a boy, and he had just turned sixteen. He had dirty-blonde hair and wore a floppy, pointed green hat. He had a lopsided grin, but rarely showed it as he was very shy. He was an even better thief than the girl, Zelda. His name was Link. Zelda looked nervous for a moment, but quickly hid it.

"You really think so?" She asked.

"Definitely." He flashed one of the aforementioned grins. Zelda's heart fluttered. She and Link had been friends since before Zelda could remember, and she had started to liked him more than that six years ago.

 _Yes,_ she thought bitterly. _S_ _ix whole years._ He was completely oblivious. He always acted so high and mighty, but he was only two weeks older than her.

After some laughs and a brief retelling of each side of the story, the duo headed towards the orphanage. They lived in the village of Laefi, which was really quite large for a village. Unlike most villages, Laefi had a marketplace, three schools, and of course, an orphanage. When they got to their destination, small children swarmed them. They were obviously well liked here.

"Hey everyone. Look what we brought!" Zelda called. Link pulled out the fresh bread and they each handed a loaf to the children. The orphans cheered. Link and Zelda smiled at each other. Zelda felt warm inside. A girl tugged on her arm.

"Thank you. We really appreciate your, um, work." A little seven-year-old girl winked behind her. Zelda bit back a smile.

"You are very welcome, Natlia," Zelda replied with as straight a face as she could manage. Natlia was a special case. She was very bright for her age, but took everything literally and often missed very plainly dropped hints. She kept her short dark hair as plain as the white smock she often wore.

"I've been wondering...maybe...maybe I could join you next time?" Natlia asked cautiously, but hope glittered in her eyes. Zelda suddenly felt a knot of dread form in her gut.

"Oh Natlia..." Zelda grasped for the kindest way to let her down easily. Her cheeks burned.

"It's ok! I've been practicing my sneakiness," Natlia reassured her, and then proceeded to demonstrate by tip-toeing around the small courtyard.

"Well, no, but Natlia-" Zelda's words stuck in her throat. Next to her, Link seemed to sense her discomfort.

"What she's trying to say is that you belong here at the orphanage, and we often get in trouble. So, we don't want to ruin your image," he joked. It went completely undetected by Natlia. But still, Zelda wondered how Link always said exactly the right thing. It seemed unintentional, because if she asked if he did it on purpose, he didn't seem to know what she was talking about. Either way, Natlia got the message.

"Ok. I understand," she sighed. Zelda's heart broke.

"Natlia, I'm so sorry!" She blurted out. Natlia smiled weakly.

"It's fine. Maybe next time, right?" She asked. Zelda couldn't bring herself to say no.

* * *

"This has gone far enough."

Zelda groaned. Word must've gotten out about their theft. She inwardly sighed. Her foster mother was too strict, and her foster father didn't seem to care about...well, anything.

Her foster mother, who horrifyingly insisted that she be called, "Auntie", launched into a long lecture about responsibility. Zelda had heard it all before. Each lecture took approximately one minute and forty two seconds, give or take depending on how much sleep "Auntie" had gotten the previous night.

 _*Four...three...two..._ It was almost over. But then, something unexpected happened. Auntie's eyes softened.

"Honey, you're gettin' older now. You have so much potential. But that boy is jus holdin' you back." With a sudden wave if nausea, Zelda realized she meant Link.

Auntie took a breath and continued. "I know how close you two are. But I have to stop you from seein' him. It's for the best." Zelda's shock boiled into anger. How could she? Link was Zelda's only friend! Fury filled her. How COULD she? Zelda couldn't even speak. Her ears felt hot.

She was on the roof. She vaguely remembered stumbling up the stairs to her small room and climbing through the window. The roof was where she did her best thinking. Up here, she could almost feel the tension leave her as she left her room. She also got a breathtaking view of Laefi, and the land of Hyrule surrounding it. Another view she got was Link's window. It was Zelda's one guilty pleasure. She had a perfect view of him, but the top of his window covered his view of her.

The sky was steadily darkening, along with Zelda's mood. She wasn't bad on purpose, and everything she stole she gave to others. If it weren't for Link, she would have no, "potential". The two friends were a part of each other.

But truthfully, Zelda's nature was that of a goody-two-shoes. For every act of theft, her conscience weighed upon her more and more heavily. But that didn't matter to her now. All that did matter was rebelling against her wretched foster mother. Starting tomorrow, she would do everything in her power to make sure that awful woman was put in her place. No-starting now. Zelda then nimbly slid off of her roof into a tree on her right side. She leapt from branch like a squirrel, finally landing on the ground outside of her house. She whipped the stray hair from her face. She quietly ran to Link's house for her first act of rebellion.

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 **Like I said, hope you enjoyed! Check in tomorrow or the day after for chapter two! Thanks! ;)**


	2. Shattered

**Hello. I know the first chapter wasn't perfect, but it gets better by the end of chapter three. Also, this may sound stupid, but I was so happy when I saw that someone favorited and followed my story. Thank you, person! You made my day. Finally, I know I haven't been following exact Zelda folklore, but don't worry, I will provide an explaination later in the story. Sorry for the longer author's note, and enjoy!**

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All Link saw was darkness. Slowly, a dark room materialized. He noticed that the room didn't offer much of a difference from the previous nothingness. He squinted. Link could make out two figures. One was tall, wide, and radiated evil. The other was smaller, and was cowering before the first figure. But the cower looked...forced. Link then realized two things; one, that the larger figure was controlling the smaller one, and two, that the smaller figure was a girl.

He felt a knot of dread in the pit of his stomach, though he wasn't sure why. He was on edge, as if something terrible were about to happen. Suddenly, the girl writhed in pain as the larger figure cackled. Link felt as if claws were slashing across his heart. He tried to run toward the girl, but his hands were chained to a wall behind him. He had felt sadness before, but this was unlike anything he'd ever felt before. As this unknown girl was tortured, he was as well. He wanted to rip the larger figure, who was more like a shadow, apart. He would do anything, absolutely anything, to safe the girl. He wanted to take her place. He would die for her a million times, but he didn't even know her name.

* * *

Link sat bolt upright. His shirt was soaked with cold sweat. What the hell was that? He didn't even know. He'd had bad dreams before, this one was much more vivid. The weird thing was, he still felt the knots in his stomach and his voice felt hoarse from yelling at the shadow figure. His wrists felt sore. He looked down and saw red marks from the chains that had bound him to the wall.

But even though it had happened moments before, the details of the dream started to fade in Link's mind. He growled in frustration as he racked his brain to get them back. He was already forgetting how big the dark room was, what the girl looked like, and-

He was snapped back from his thoughts by a soft tapping at the window. He got up and looked out. It was Zelda. He quietly opened the window.

Zelda grinned mischievously. "Hi."

Link was bewildered. "Uh...hi. What are you doing here?"

"I am rebelling against HER. Bleck! I hate her so much," Zelda announced.

He fought the urge to roll his eyes. And laugh. Zelda was usually upbeat, but the one thing she complained about was her foster mother. Privately, Link called it her, "Regular Aunt Rant". If he ever told her that, she would stop talking to him for three days. Once she'd even slapped him. But Zelda seemed more excited than usual.

"How long did she ground you this time?" Link sighed.

Zelda snorted. "She didn't ground me. She said we weren't allowed to be friends anymore, and that you were, 'Jus' holdin' me back'. Ugh. And then she acted all sad. Like it was for my own good or something."

Link wasn't really shocked, but in a way he was. "So that's what you meant by rebellion. You came to see me," he guessed.

"Yep," Zelda sighed. "I was on the roo-in my room for hours pouting."

Link wasn't sure what to say. Honestly, he understood her foster mother's point, but if he said that...well, that first slap had stung enough. "What is your conscience telling you to do?" He asked finally.

Zelda sighed, her adrenaline and anger gone. "I don't know."

He held out his hand for Zelda's, and he led her outside to his backyard. Link lived with his guardian, a man named Maston. He was a little old and didn't talk much, but was pretty cool in Link's opinion. But he always went to sleep at exactly the same time every night, so Link knew it would be safe to take Zelda outside. Link sat on the soft grass and laid down, arms behind his head leisurely. Zelda followed in a similar fashion. When they were much younger, they used to look at the stars and make up a story for each one. Link knew doing this again, even if after so many years, would help Zelda to feel better. Link started. He pointed to a bright one that was tinged orange. "That one is a faraway planet with three-eyed people."

Zelda laughed. Link could tell she was picturing it. She pointed to another. "He just broke up with his girlfriend."

"That one's a dog named Skippy," Link countered.

"That one's a portal to another universe," Zelda shot back.

And so it continued, the two friends trying to best the other, and each story getting more and more outlandish. Link could tell Zelda was finally happy.

After a while, Zelda took a deep breath and sat up. Link did the same. Zelda looked at him. "Thank you," she started. "I really needed that."

Link smiled. "Any time."

Zelda looked at him and started to lean in closer. Link realized too late what was happening. He pulled away, startled. Sure, he might've liked her a little, but she was mostly his friend. And his dream had still left him shaken. Zelda looked hurt, and almost as shocked as Link felt. He could tell she was scolding herself. She got up and ran home, but not before Link could see the tears streaming down her face.

* * *

Link was slowly roused from sleep. His memories from last night came back to him and he groaned. Usually when he and Zelda fought, he would grumble to himself about how stubborn she was and try to apologize whenever he saw her, even if it wasn't his fault. But he didn't think his usual conflict-avoiding method would work this time. This was serious, and uncharted territory for Link. He didn't know what to do because something like this had never happened before. He didn't even think this counted as fighting. _I mean, I'm not mad,_ he thought. He couldn't speak for Zelda, though. He honestly hoped she was mad, because that would give him some idea of what to do. But he had a feeling she was just hurt.

He sighed and brushed the thoughts away. He dressed, and then went to the kitchen. Link saw Maston and considered asked him what to do, but decided against it, as he would label it, "girl trouble" and try to have one of those uncomfortable conversations. Link shuddered at the thought. Finally, he decided not to do anything now and try to enjoy his morning.

It didn't work.

Maston looked lost in thought. "What's wrong?" Link asked, hoping to focus on someone else's problem instead of his own.

"Just wondering...whether or not...it's...time," his guardian replied vaguely. What kind of an answer was that? "Time for what?"Link tried.

Maston sighed. "Oh, many a year ago, I made a promise to two women. The promise had two parts. I am fulfilling the first, but I am wondering if I should make good on the second part yet."

Link couldn't help but make an expression of confusion and disbelief. Maston just chuckled to himself. He had long black hair streaked with dark gray, but it was really closer to dark gray streaked with black. He had a square, angular face that usually had a stony expression etched on it. He wore very dignified black, gray, or brown clothing. The occasional drab navy blue on special occasions. He kept up his dignified appearance by neatly tying back his hair down his back and always being clean shaven. Link thought the contrast between them was funny. Where Maston was neat and orderly, Link was sloppy and messy. Link's hair was long and uneven His face was sharp, his smile crooked. He could steal anything, no problem, whereas Maston had probably never stolen a thing in his life.

After he finished his breakfast, Link decided that he was ready to face Zelda.

Maston looked at him. "Good luck, son."

Link was taken aback. "Wh-what?"

"I think we both know what," Maston said, winking at him.

Had the world gone crazy? First his relationship with his best friend was thrown into limbo, and now his uncle was reading his mind and "fulfilling promises" to random women! What was next? But he had a sinking feeling that the worst was yet to come.

He shook his head and went over to the front door and opened it. The fresh tang of the woods met Link's nose and he smiled. The woods were where he felt at home. He would go into the woods surrounding part of Laefi and practice with a sword he had stolen from the blacksmiths'. He was actually getting pretty good. He also practiced with a bow, but he wasn't very good with it. Link had never told anyone this, not even Zelda.

Link took a breath. He started walking to the orphanage, where Zelda helped out on the weekends. Goddesses, it was the weekend? Link could never keep track of the days. Sure he had school. But he didn't always go. Whatever.

He was about to knock on the door of the orphanage when he heard voices inside. His pointed ears twitched as he strained to listened.

"-In a state this morning. I tell yah' that awful boy is ruining her! He has reduced her to theft, disobedience, skippin' school, and who knows what else!" Link heard a high pitched woman.

"I know. And she's such a good girl, always comin' in to help an all. But she has tah make the decision for herself. Her foster mother has been tryin' for years. The harder she pushes, the more Zelda holds on tah him. Just last night, I heard she snuck out tah see him. When she came back, she'd been cryin' and this morning see seems different. I think we both know what happened." Another woman, with a lower, metallic sounding voice.

"But like I said, he's reducin' her tah dust. She don't have much longer!" Worried the high pitched voice.

"I know. And, dear, I don't like it anymore than you do." The metallic voice tried to soothe the other.

Link was seething. He hated everything about that conversation-from being, "that awful boy" to their unbearable southern Hyrule accents. His jaw was clenched. He could feel his face and ears flush with anger. He pounded on the door in rage. He heard two fearful yelps from inside the orphanage. What had he done? He ran as fast as he could towards the woods. He knocked down people and store displays alike in his hurry. As he passed the blacksmith, he grabbed one of the new swords. He ignored the shouts and chasing footsteps behind him and kept running. Link was almost there, but oh, crud-Weekends were Market Day in Laefi. Stands and kiosks blocked his usual way into the woods. He didn't think. As he approached the market, he rolled under a potion stand, traumatizing the woman who worked at it. He was home free.

Almost.

"Link?" He heard a familiar voice call behind him. Of all of the things he'd faced in the past two-and-a-half minutes, this was the only thing that made him stop dead. Slowly, he turned around. In the middle of the chaos he'd caused, there stood a figure. She was the only still thing in a mass of movement. She started walking toward him. He couldn't meet her eyes as she approached him.

Now, she stood before him. To Link's surprise, amusement glittered in her eyes.

"I leave you alone for one morning," Zelda started, "And you destroy the village? How do you do it?"

He suddenly felt overwhelmed and at a loss for words. "I-uh, I..." he stuttered.

Zelda laughed, and it was music to Link's ears. For a moment, he wanted to do anything he could to make her laugh again. The world had melted away, leaving the two of them in the woods together. They went deeper in and no one noticed, because their attention was on the chaos in Laefi. In the woods, they just walked. Neither one spoke. But Link knew this couldn't last forever.

He shattered the moment. "We should, uh, go help clean up," he said plainly. Zelda just nodded. Something had changed between them, but Link wasn't sure what. He remembered last night. He knew he should say something. But talking was never his strong suit. He preferred action, as he had shown when he threw part of the city into disarray.

But he had to try. "Um, about last night," he tried. She turned to face him.

"It's ok. I understood perfectly," she sighed. She started to walk back towards Laefi.

Link grabbed for her hand to stop her from leaving. Simultaneously, he said, "No! You don't, wait-" But he was cut off. As soon as their hands touched, a loud bang sounded and the world was engulfed in light.

* * *

The first thing Link felt was a headache. His body was numb. Slowly, he regained feeling in his fingers, then his arms, and the rest of him soon followed. He fluttered his eyes open. He saw nothing. At first, he thought it was the night or another dream, but then he heard birds chirping in the distance. He realized with a jolt that he was blind, because the birds didn't sing during the night or, as far as he knew, dreams.

He heard shuffling next to him, and then a small scream. "I can't see!"

"I know. Neither can I," he said in the general direction that he had heard her voice. Zelda jumped, startled.

"It's ok. It's just me," Link reassured her. Now, he could start to make out fuzzy, dark shapes. The world started to come into focus. He heard Zelda breathe a sigh of relief. He blinked a few times and began to take in his surroundings. The first thing he noticed was that they weren't in the woods outside of Laefi anymore. These woods were more like a forest. Link saw magical plants that were either extremely rare, or just myths. The air smelled exotic and fresh. But the thing he noticed most was the blazing mark on the back of his left hand. It was a large triangle made up of three smaller ones. He noticed Zelda examining her left hand, where the mark burned as well.

They adjusted so they were sitting against the other's back. Link was thinking about what to do, when he felt Zelda stiffen behind him. Her ears quivered. Link listened closely to his surroundings. He could hear a soft humming, gradually getting louder. When it got loud enough, he realized it was a woman singing in some ancient language. But Link understood her perfectly.

 _Listen, heroes, listen well,_

 _The worst of evils, you must expel,_

 _Go north to fallen power,_

 _Separate in the darkest hour,_

 _To the forest, goes wisdom's child,_

 _The other goes to rivers wild,_

 _Reunite in clouds above,_

 _Embrace in your newfound love,_

 _But be warned one will fall,_

 _To the demon who rules them all..._

The voice faded out. The forest was silent. The birds had stopped chirped. Link tried to say something to Zelda, but he was frozen. The whole world was frozen. He saw a bird stuck mid-flap as it flew. He heard a creaking noise. Suddenly, the forest shattered, like a two dimensional picture. Link fell in slow motion as the grass fell from under him in pieces. The last thing he heard were two voices, screaming in harmony as he faded with the chipped pieces into nothingness.

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 **Sorry if you thought that ending was weird. Also, this isn't the most boring story ever. The action will definitely start in the next chapter, which will come out in the next couple days or so. Thanks! :)**


	3. Friends

**Hello again. If this is your first time reading my story, I hope you like it. If you're returning because you liked it, thanks. I appreciate it. I've only gotten one review as of now, but it was very helpful to me. I wasn't really sure if I should've replied to the review, or if that would've been weird.**

 **So anyway, this chapter is a little bit longer than the first two, but not by much. I'm trying to work on lengthening my chapters. If you thought the story was boring before, don't worry-the action starts in this chapter. I know I said I'd update sooner, but, whoops, I didn't. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it and please review! :)**

* * *

Zelda woke up to birds chirping. Was she back in the strange forest? She groggily opened her eyes to...her bedroom ceiling? She looked down. She was wearing the same pajamas she was wearing the morning she had the strange vision, embarrassing slippers and all. "Breakfast! Up, Zelda!" She heard her step-mother call her exactly as she had called her before. What was going on?

She walked downstairs, listening suspiciously to her surroundings. When she shuffled into the kitchen, Auntie said, "I made a surprise for you. I bought bacon, your favorite." What was happening? This had happened yesterday! "Uh-huh," replied, distracted by the thoughts racing around in her head.

"What's wrong, honey?" Auntie asked, concerned. Zelda shook her head. "I have to go," she muttered. She ran upstairs with a half-formed plan in her mind.

"Zelda! What are you doing?" Her stepmother yelled after her. In her room, she quickly found some clothes and put them on. She left her house through her window and sprinted to Link's house. She got to his door, panting. Just as she was about to knock, the door opened. Link stood there, and looked as if he was about to do what Zelda had just done. He was wearing a hastily put on outfit as well.

"Link, I-"

"Was it real?"

Zelda looked at him. "What?"

"Was it real?"

"I don't know what you mean, I-"

"Was. It. Real?"

Honestly, Zelda didn't know. But the word came flying off her lips. "Yes."

Link's face darkened. He motioned for her to come inside. A man who Zelda recognized as Link's parental guardian, stood waiting for them. He looked at Link, who said, "It's time."

Zelda was confused. "Time? Time for what?"

"To fulfill my promise," Link's guardian said cryptically. His voice was deep and crackled with every word. He took a breath.

"Long ago, I made a promise to two women. I told them that I would keep something of theirs safe. It was very important that I did, because without it Hyrule would have no hope against the rising evil," he said.

"Evil? What 'rising evil'?" Link asked. His guardian didn't answer. No straight answers. Zelda tried again. "What did you need to keep safe? Some kind of weapon?"

"In a way, I suppose. The thing I needed to keep safe was two people." She and Link came to the conclusion at the same time.

"US?" They said simultaneously. Link's guardian nodded gravely.

"How are we special?" Link asked incredulously. His guardian shook his head. "You will see."

"Maston, please tell us," Link pleaded. Maston! So that was his name. "Mr. Maston, sir, if we are to defeat the, uh, 'rising evil,' we need all of the information we can get," Zelda tried, played along.

"No." Hmph. Helpful. She wasn't sure if she believed any of this. Honestly, who would? Two clueless teenagers were going to save the world. Yeah, sure. But nagging at the back of her mind was a part of her that believed all of this. Link looked as if this was his worst fear had been confirmed. She had no doubt he believed every word.

Suddenly, something else clicked into place, cutting off all of Zelda's other thoughts. "'Two women'...were those...are they...our _mothers_?" She asked. Link looked up, his eyes wide.

"Yes. They are still alive, too, as I am guessing that would have been your next question," Maston said simply. He was right, she would've asked that next. Zelda was impressed. But Link looked angry. "Then why are we here?"

Maston stayed silent. Link growled. He snatched a jacket and forcefully opened the door, stomped out, and slammed the door behind him. Zelda looked at Maston, who nodded, and rushed outside.

She saw him resting face first against a tree, his forehead on the rough bark. She crept up tentatively. "Hey. You okay?"

"Not really," he sighed. She understood the feeling. "Me either."

He looked at her. "Do you think this is true?" He asked.

"I'm not sure. You know, there's only one way to find out," she said. An adventure sounded perfect. She and Link, together- She stopped, because she remembered last night.

"Let's do it. Let's have an adventure," Link said suddenly. "It feels right."

It may not be the same, but it would still be fun. "Okay."

He smiled. He was right. This was what whey needed to do. Link started to walk towards the woods. "Come on!"

"Wait! First, we don't even know where we're going. Second, we don't have supplies or anything. Third, were you really just going to run into the woods on the spot?" Zelda said. Link smiled sheepishly. She sighed and continued. "I'll get the food and stuff, you get weapons for defense."

He nodded, and they started to prepare.

After she had found two good size satchels, Zelda put all of her knowledge of theft to use finding two weeks' worth of non perishable food for each of them. Almost every stall in the market had someone who could've sworn they had a few more goods last they'd looked. Once or twice, she saw Link working at the blacksmith stand trying to get a couple swords. Finally, she filled two canteens with water. She met Link at his house again. He handed her a bow and a couple dozen arrows, and she handed him his satchel. Zelda wondered where they'd be going, and had an idea. "Let's get directions from Maston."

Link snorted. "I doubt he'll give us a straight answer."

Zelda rolled her eyes and went inside his house. It was deathly quiet. She called out, and it echoed through the house. She heard noise in the kitchen. Maston's crackly voice answered her. "In here."

She gingerly stepped inside the kitchen. She took a breath and said, "Do you happen to know where we are supposed to be going?"

He nodded. "The desert in the west. But I can't say any more."

"Thank you, sir. We'll come home soon," she said, and left him to think in the quiet kitchen. She walked back outside and told Link what Maston had said. He nodded and pulled out a compass. "I also grabbed some survival supplies," he said.

"Smart." Zelda wasn't feeling very talkative. She was extremely nervous. Apparently, the fate of the world rested on their shoulders. She could tell Link felt similarly. What if they failed? What if there was a mistake, and someone else was supposed to save the world? She shook her head to clear out those thoughts. She had to be confident. They could do this.

Or could they?

 _º º º_

Zelda found that in the days to follow she didn't have time for doubts. She always had to be on guard for danger, and it _was_ getting tiring. Every night she slept even deeper from her exhaustion, both physical and mental. Every day she and Link would train with their weapons-well, to her it felt more like Link taught her while she trained. He always insisted that they were learning together, but Zelda was no fool. When they weren't training, they were trekking out of the forest that surrounded Laefi, or fighting troupes of goblin-like creatures. So far, neither of them had gotten seriously hurt. The goddesses must be looking out for them.

Everyday, Zelda woke up sore and more tired than she'd been when she went to sleep, but Link seemed exhilarated. He was where he was meant to be. In Laefi, he was an outcast. He got bad grades in school. He was practically ignored by everyone except her and Maston. But out here, he seemed connected to the forest. He was more relaxed, and the worry lines had disappeared from in between his eyebrows. Because of this, Zelda was careful not to complain once.

As they went through the forest, Zelda noticed small signs that showed how close they were to the desert. The first was the rising temperature. Next, Zelda noticed that it was harder and harder to find water, which was a very bad thing. Being thirsty all the time only added to her exhaustion. The biggest sign was that the forest floor now had sand mixed in with the dirt.

Just when Zelda thought she couldn't go any farther, she saw the desert through the trees. Her energy bounced back. She looked at Link excitedly. "Look! We're finally here!" She ran towards the edge of the forest. It was almost over!

But as she was running, her foot caught on something. As she fell, she looked down to see what had tripped her. Her face hit the ground. The wind was knocked out of her. She tried to get up, but her feet wouldn't move. She started to struggle, but Link yelled at her to stop. "It's quicksand! Be still, and I'll find a way to fish you out."

She tried to turn around, but the quicksand was up to her knees. For a while, she just stood there, mortified, slowly sinking in the sand. She never wanted to be the damsel in distress. She wanted to have power! She didn't need to be "saved," by a man.

She was tired of waiting. She was about to call out, but heard the trees rustle ominously. Link shouted, but was cut off with a sickening thud. "Link!" Zelda yelled.

A hand clamped over her mouth. She started to struggle, which only made her sink in the quicksand faster. She was now up to her shoulders. Two more strong hands grabbed each shoulder and pulled her up with a loud sucking noise. She was gagged, and her hands were tied behind her. She twisted and saw Link with a bloody lump on his head, and he was unconscious. She looked at their attackers. They were three women, all with red hair tied up high on top of their heads. They were wearing large, baggy pants and a strapless wrap around their midsection. Silky scarves covered their mouths. Two of the three had large gems on their foreheads.

One of the jeweled ones turned to her. She spoke with a heavy accent. "Surrender and come with us, or the boy dies now."

Zelda just nodded and made a small sound through her gag. The woman then picked her up and threw her over her shoulder, as if she were nothing more than a rag doll. Link was being carried in a similar fashion. They started walking towards the desert. As they walked, Zelda couldn't help but feel relieved that she didn't have to walk. Zelda decided that because their lives were probably about to end very soon, that she would take pleasure in the small things. She twisted and saw that Link was awake. He looked at her and tried to mouth something, but his carrier dumped him on the ground and whipped out a knife. Link shut his mouth tightly.

Satisfied, the woman put away her knife and scooped him up again. Quiet soon settled over them again. It stayed that way until they reached their destination, which I was a large temple made of intricate sand bricks. They entered, and walked through dark, echoing passages. Zelda tried to keep count of the side tunnels they went down to possibly escape, but couldn't. It was too confusing. Finally, their attackers set them on the ground at a set of large doors. The woman who had spoken before stepped forward. "You will not speak. You will not protest. You will only nod your head yes or no if you are offered the choice. Do I make myself clear?"

Zelda just nodded, as to follow their directions, but winced as Link said, "Yes."

Thankfully, the women ignored it and creaked open the door to a dark chamber. Nothing lit the room but a torch on a bracket through the doorway they had just come. The women bowed as they entered the room, and they forced their captives to do the same. A metallic female voice echoed on the walls of the chamber. "What is your business with the Gerudo?"

Again, Zelda stayed silent, and she kicked Link as he opened his mouth to speak. The voice made a satisfied grunt. It continued. "You are smart. That is obvious. The Gerudo could use a quick mind like yours," it said. It paused for a moment. "I am about to make you a deal. Would you like to join the Gerudo, or die at the hands of the desert? If you could let go of your male companion, you would have a chance to get one of a kind training and join a sisterhood stronger than a blood oath. What say you?"

Zelda let what the voice had said sink in. If she refused, both she and Link would die in the desert, but if she accepted, Link would be killed as she the joined a group of desert bandits. Neither option was appealing, because neither option allowed to Link live. She must have been sitting there longer than she thought, because the voice brought her back to the dark chamber. "Answer, girl, now," it commanded.

Still Zelda stayed silent. Realizing her indecision, it barked, "Speak."

She took a breath and said, "I will only join if my companion's life is spared."

The voice seemed impressed. "If this is what you wish, then you must complete your entire training within three days. You will be asked to do the impossible. If you fail, your companion will die at sunset on the third day. Do I make myself clear?"

Zelda immediately nodded. In the faint light, she saw that Link's face was chalk white. One of the women who had abducted them led her captives out of the dim chamber. They twisted and turned through the maze of passages again, this time to a prison cell. They were roughly thrown in and locked up. The Gerudo looked at them as she left, and for a split second Zelda could've sworn she looked sorry.

As soon as she left, Zelda turned to Link to examine the lump on his head. To her relief, the wound was superficial.

"Ok, I have a plan," she said. "I'll start doing the training thing, and that will give us time to escape before they kill you on the third day." But even as she said it, she knew their chances of survival were slim.

Link nodded. His face was still pale. She reached out to put a reassuring hand on his arm, but thought better of it. Her hand hung limply in the air. She pulled it back, and thought about what a horrible job they were doing at being heroes. Link seemed to be thinking the same thing, because he looked completely hopeless.

Both teenagers looked up as the cell door opened. The Gerudo who had just left entered, and she held a long jagged knife in her hand. It glinted mysteriously, even though there was no light to reflect.

Zelda started to panic. "But you said we could live! We had a deal!"

The Gerudo looked at her with softened eyes. "Relax, young one. This is just a safety precaution."

Zelda watched as she gently took Link's arm with her long fingers. Slowly, she cut a long line down his forearm. Then, using his own blood, she painted a symbol on the back of his hand. "The Gerudo symbol," she murmured.

She turned to Zelda. "In three days' time, the poison on the knife's blade will kill the boy. If you complete your training in time, the antidote will be given. He will be sent on his way, as healthy as ever," she said calmly.

Zelda was anything but calm. "You just _poisoned_ him? What the hell! Fix it! Fit it now!"

She leapt up at the woman, who sprung back and took out two knifes as fast as lightning. "Please! I do not want to have to hurt you!" she pleaded.

Zelda slumped, her anger gone. It was replaced by bitter despair. She sat there, her eyes blank for a long time. The Gerudo left as she started to cry. Link looked at her uncomfortably. He felt fine, and he couldn't tell that he had just been poisoned. He just sat in the corner, quietly watching the tears flow down Zelda's cheeks. She was regretting ever decision she had made in the past month. Stealing, sneaking out, trying to kiss Link, all of it. But she especially regretted leaving Laefi. They were so stupid! They seriously thought they could save the world, but they were shot down before they even knew what their quest was. She was insane, and Link was going to be killed because of her foolishness. How could she?

She was consumed by sadness and tears, so she was startled when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw two familiar blue eyes. She leaned into his shoulder. He put his arms around her. For so long, she had wanted more than friendship from Link, but now she realized that friendship was exactly what she needed.

They looked at each other, and decided without words that they were going to keep fighting. As friends.

* * *

 **So, yeah. Please review and expect the next chapter in a week or two. ;)**


	4. Sticks and Stones

**Hello! Sorry to my three followers for not updating in a loooong time. I've been busy, and actually had writer's block (which I thought was really funny xD). I added something in this chapter that I hope deepens/enhances the story, instead of my fear that it just makes it weird. Whatever. I'll say more at the a/n at the end. Anyway, hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Link woke up slowly. As he opened his eyes, he saw the ceiling of his dark cell. Zelda wasn't there. He looked at the guard who was stationed at the locked door. "Where is she?" He asked impatiently.

The guard shrugged. "Training?"

He glared at her. She snickered. He huffed. What should he do now? Wait? Yeah, no. He was never good at, "patience," but being in the woods was never boring. He had gotten used to always doing something. Just sitting here was agony.

Suddenly, an idea came to him. It probably wouldn't work, but he was desperate. He cleared his throat, and said, "Do you know what Toss-Stone is?"

The guard shook her head. She looked to be about thirteen, which Link found strange because he was three years older than her, and yet _she_ was guarding _him_. He started to explain the game. "You need two players, which we have, and three stones. One of the stones is placed in the middle, and you take turns knocking the stone out of the middle. Whoever's stone is closest wins, and becomes the new middle stone," he explained, using a lot hand gestures.

The Gerudo raised an eyebrow. Link couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry, it's more fun than it sounds," he reassured her.

She sighed and sat down. Link scrounged around his cell for three stones. He placed one on the ground on his side of the bars. The Gerudo girl took a stone, and the game began. The whole time, Link was flashing back to his early childhood in Laefi. He remembered the day that he and Zelda discovered some of the other village children playing Toss-Stone. They were peeking through some bushes. He remembered Zelda asking if they should approach the children. He immediately said, "No! They hate me! You go alone."

She had looked at him skeptically. He shrugged. "You'll see. If you go over there alone, they'll act normal, but as soon as I come it'll be all over," he insisted.

Zelda sighed, and said, "Fine."

She left the bushes and greeted the children enthusiastically. They returned the greeting, and invited her into their game. For a while, they just played together. But Link then emerged from the tress, and the clearing went dead silent. Everyone stared at him, and he stared defiantly back. He deepened his voice to keep the nervous squeak from it. "Hello. Can I join?"

No answer. Zelda nodded at him encouragingly. He tried again. "Well, can I?"

A boy spoke up. "Are you going to ruin the game like you usually do?"

"I-I swear, I didn't mean to kick the ball on the roof last week-" he tried to explain. He was panicking.

"Just don't mess it up again," said the rude boy. Link tentatively stepped forward.

The children split into two teams. They would take turns facing off against someone from the opposite team. To Link's relief, things went smoothly for the first couple rounds. The rude boy even said to him, "Maybe I was wrong about you, Link."

But, it didn't last long enough for Link's liking. When it was it turn, he was paired against the rude boy. As they cast their stones, Link's bounced off of the middle stone and shot towards the boy. He screamed as it hit him. "MY EYE! You hit my eye!" He yelled.

He crumpled on the ground. Link was horrified. What if he had blinded him? He turned around and tore into the trees, with Zelda in hot pursuit.

She found him crying in a tree. She tried to talk to him, but all she could coax out of him was, "What have I done?"

Link shook the thoughts from his head as he played against the Gerudo girl, who was actually quite good. They were tied twelve to twelve. Who ever won this last game would win their little tournament. But before they could cast their stones, a strict looking Gerudo hurried in and started to scold the girl. The girl looked annoyed as the other Gerudo left. "She heard us and thought I was trying to help you escape," she explained, a scowl on her face. Link apologized, embarrassed.

The Gerudo girl sighed and explained, "It does not matter. As long as I have a place here, my little sister and mother will be safe." Her face darkened, and she added, "My older sister turned against our family, so the responsibility rests on my shoulders alone."

Link wasn't sure what to say. He was amazed by the cultural differences from Laefi to this foreign desert.

"What tribe do you lead?" The Gerudo then asked casually. Link was confused. "What?"

"You know, male leaders. What tribe are you the king of?" She said this as if this was the most normal thing in the world. He didn't understand. "Uh, I don't lead a tribe, and I'm not the king of anything."

The Gerudo gasped. "How? You are a male!"

Link thought he was starting to understand. "Explain to me how your tribe chooses its leaders," he prompted.

She didn't miss a beat. "Our tribe consisted mostly of females. But once every century, a male is born. We crown him our king. Our current king is the great and influential Ganondorf," she said in a monotonous voice, as if this was recited often. "I mean, that's what they say, but honestly, he seems evil."

"Oh. Well, where I come from, there is no supreme ruler, and there even even amount of men and women," Link said.

"Really? That is strange!" The Gerudo exclaimed. Link shrugged.

After their cultural discussion ended, the cell fell back into a depressing and awkward silence. Link tapped his fingers. He counted the large sand bricks on the walls (46). He threw a stone up in the air and caught it a couple times, but stopped when it went up too high and came down on his nose. He adjusted himself several times on a rotting wooden bench, and even tried sitting upside down. The whole time, the Gerudo girl was watching him, an amused smirk tugging at her lips. Finally, Link gave up trying to pass the time. He turned to the girl. "How long have I been here this morning?" He asked.

"Half an hour," she replied, smirking even more. Only thirty minutes? Link was astounded. He sighed, frustrated. "Tell me story," he demanded finally. He knew it was a childish request, but what could he say? He was desperate.

The Gerudo laughed. "For someone who was poisoned yesterday, you certainly have a lot of spirit," she pointed out cheekily. He gave her a glare of mock anger. "Just tell me a story."

She sighed. "Once upon a time, three golden goddesses created the world. They left two other goddesses to watch the world in their absence. Then, all of Hyrule was covered with lush forests, peaceful plains, and rippling waters. Each goddess resided over half of the prosperous new land. After thousands of years, an evil greater than the new world had known rose, and swore to be the demise of the new land. It took over the second goddess's realm and expanded in the beautiful environment. Hyrule's people fought against the evil, but it wasn't enough. Each goddess weakened themselves trying to rid the land of the evil, but the second goddess knew that to make a difference, the evil needed to be rooted out at its source. So, using her last bit of strength and divine power, the second goddess blew the top of a mountain of and made I spew lava, and dried up a huge sea. The lava killed many of the evil minions, and the rest of the evil creatures died from a lack of water. But the force of this drained the goddess's energy and she faded into legend. With this huge blow upon the evil, it was weakened greatly. The first goddess was able to seal it away and restore peace to the land. The second goddess was dubbed the Goddess of the Sand, because the terrain of her realm became dry and barren, and the first goddess, whose name was Hylia, was dubbed Her Grace because she led Hyrule to victory. That is how the world came to be. The end," the Gerudo finished.

"Nice. Now, it's my turn," Link said, and cleared his throat dramatically. "Fifteen years ago in a little village outside of Castle Town, two little kids, a boy and a girl, ended up in foster homes. They were friends instantly, and always seemed to get into trouble. They couldn't figure out that you had to pay for things at the market, so they always took what they wanted without asking. As time went on, the friends started school, and the girl did a lot better than the boy. The boy got into more and more trouble, and it looked as if the friends would grow apart. But, they tried to keep their little bond, and they still remained friends, though not as close as they were before. The boy wondered if he would ever feel romantically towards the girl, but decided not to think about that too much because she was so much better than him, and he didn't want to complicate their friendship. He thought about it anyway. Despite their troubles, the boy and girl remained friends. The end." Link got up and bowed deeply, grinning his lopsided smile.

The Gerudo wasn't sure what to think, so she just clapped politely. Link just laughed. Even though they both acted nonchalant on the outside, they each understood the greater meaning of the story. To change the subject, Link asked about the Gerudo's little sister. She smiled. "I love my little sister more than life. She deserves a good future, so I do everything I can to help her. So did my other sister, but she got promoted and doesn't seem to care about her family anymore." Her bitter tone had returned.

To change the subject, Link said, "I just realized that I don't know your name."

"My name is Miy,"said the Gerudo-Miy-with pride. "It means 'protecter' in my native tongue. I chose it because I am my sister's miy. A Gerudo chooses their name based on what they want to achieve. There are a lot of Gerudo with the name 'high advisor'. My little sister is five, and she just chose the name Nabooru, which means 'good spirit'. My mother and I are so proud of her," Miy sighed, lost in memories.

"Cool," he said. "I'm Link."

Miy stuck out her hand. "Nice to meet you." Link thought his was funny, because Miy now knew more about him then even Zelda, and yet they were just now learning each other's names.

The rest of the day, Link and Miy exchanged stories about their childhood misadventures, life in Laefi, little Nabooru, and various issues in Hyrule. Before he knew it, Miy had to leave because the night guard came in. The next person to come in was a sunburnt, tired Zelda.

Forgetting his surprisingly pleasant day, he helped her in the cell and cautiously asked what had happened. She just shook her head, sand falling out of her hair into her lap, and curled up into a tiny ball on the floor. She was whimpering when she suddenly got up and threw up in the corner. She continued to dry heave until Link gently put a hand on her shoulder and guided her back to a spot on the the dirty floor.

"Sorry," she sniffed. "I got kicked in the gut and had the wind knocked out of me so many times today."

Suddenly, Link felt extremely guilty that he got to exchange stories and be lazy all day, while Zelda was going through the most physical pain she had ever endured. Worst of all, she was doing it so he could live. And here he was, playing games and talking about little sisters. He was being as shallow as the other teenagers in Laefi he had often made fun of.

Zelda put her head on his shoulder, purely for a place to rest. She started whimpering again, and her who body shook as she relived the day's horrors. She looked up at Link. Sadness clouded her usually clear eyes. "It was awful. The sun burned my face and arms, and I was forced to do things that were more physically demanding than I've ever done! I haven't had food since we were captured yesterday. This was a huge mistake, and I want to go home."

"Me too," Link said, even though he wouldn't mind another day with Miy.

"And the worst part is, today I only learned one day of what is supposed to be years! How am I going to learn all of those skills in three days? You're going to die, and it's my fault," Zelda cried.

It dawned on Link that the Gerudo had set them up to an impossible task. He felt stupid, because this seemed obvious now. He had been set up to die the moment he had been knocked out in the forest. He knew now that they had to escape. The sooner the better, because he didn't know how much more Zelda could take of the cruel "training" she had received today. In the back of his mind, a nagging doubt said that their escape was unlikely. But Link didn't listen, because he would need confidence to accomplish his task.

He cleared his throat. The Gerudo who had been guarding them jerked awake, as she had dozed off. Night duty was tiring. "Excuse me?" Link said politely. "That other guard, Miy, said that if my companion needed medical attention I should call her."

The guard didn't look convinced. "What does she need? I could call someone to grab it for her," the guard said carefully. While she was talking, Zelda picked up on her role in the plan and began to cough weakly and tried to look pathetic.

"She named this remedy, but I can't seem to remember the name. Could you bring her here so she could help?" Link said hopefully.

"I can probably guess the name. Heart potion? An herbal remedy? A restorative mix?" The guard tried.

"No...none of those," Link said. The put on an expression he hoped resembled deep thinking.

It was obvious the guard was tired, so she gave in more easily than Link had thought she would. "Oh, fine!" She said, exasperated. "I'll get Miy. Are you happy now?"

Link grinned. "Very."

The guard called to another Gerudo who was patrolling the maze of corridors. She said something in the Gerudo language, and the other guard hurried away. Zelda looked at Link skeptically, and he gave her a look that said _Trust me_.

A few minutes later, Miy walked in and knelt down next to the bars. Link whispered, "Help us escape?" Then, he said, "Could you get some of that medicinal potion for my companion?"

"Ok. I will help," she said, but her tone let Link know she was answering his first question. She turned to the guard. She said something in the Gerudo language, and hurried away. She was gone for a long time, nearly forty-five minutes, and returned looking tired. She held a small brown vial. She handed it to Link.

Then she slowly turned to the guard. Link saw one of the rocks they had used for Toss-Stone in her hand. She started to speak, but suddenly her hand sprung up and she struck the guard in the head with the rock. She crumpled, unconscious. Miy touched her companion's forehead in an apology, and then turned to the cell. She motioned for them to stand back, then she silently threw the same rock at the lock on the door, and used her hand to muffle the bang as the lock broke. The door squeaked open. Link turned to Zelda. "Can you stand?" He asked, concerned.

"Yes," she said, but her grunt as she got up betrayed her words. Even so, the trio continued their quest to escape.

Miy led them through the passages. Every couple of turns, she would carefully look around the corner for guards. They hadn't met a single guard, so Link began to relax. He started to ask Miy a question, but she shushed him and put her hand over his mouth. She looked at him angrily and whispered, "There are guards just around the corner! What are you doing?"

"We haven't met any guards though!" He protested, but much more quietly.

"Yes, because I have led us away from them," she said impatiently. "Now come on! We are almost out."

True enough, they saw an opening in the passages within a couple of minutes. Link walked faster, eager to feel the cool night air on his face after the stuffiness of his prison cell. Once they were outside, he turned to Miy. "Thank you. You've given us a chance to survive our journey," he said.

"I don't think I could've survived another day of 'training'," Zelda added.

Miy dipped her head. "It was nothing. That little vial contains a partial antidote to the poison. It will stave off the effects for a week. I apologize that I could not cure it completely."

"What are you talking about? You freed us, and now this? I owe you, like, fifty," Link exclaimed. In the heat of the escape, he had forgotten that he was going to die in two days. He thought it was strange that he kept forgetting this, but he felt normal. The poison must only act as a ticking bomb on his life, with no side effects.

He turned to leave Miy, but Zelda spoke. "You could have easily let us die, but you jeopardized your own safety to help two strangers. Why?"

Miy didn't speak at first. When she did, her voice was low. "The Gerudo are no longer the honorable tribe my mother told me about when I was young. They are withdrawing from Hyrule when they should be uniting! Also, Link is a good person, and from what he told me about you, I feel neither of you deserve to die."

Then, she dipped her head as a sign of respect and farewell. Link stuck out his hand to Miy. Even though she at first seemed a bit unsure, she gently shook his and Zelda's. As they were turning to leave, Miy held Link back and whispered, "Give the story you told a happy ending, okay?" Then, she turned and sprinted back towards the Gerudo sand temple.

* * *

 **So the thing I added was the stories. I wasn't 100% sure about those. The first one is my theory about Hyrule, and the second was to look a little deeper into Link's mind. Obviously I haven't strictly followed the rules of Zelda, but the story wouldn't have worked if I had gone completely by the book (or disc :p).**

 **I'm thinking about rewriting almost the whole story, actually. I don't really like the beginning of the first chapter, and I have a lot of typos. I have the whole story worked out, but I'm having trouble writing it. Anyway, hope you enjoyed, and leave a comment! ;)**


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